The Fourth Apprentice/Chapter 24
Chapter description :Dovepaw clings onto a branch as the floodwater sweeps her downstream. She can hear the yowling of nearby cats, but can only see dark water and the tops of trees. Shivering and drenched, she is more scared than she has ever been in her life. Lionblaze's voice tells her to hold on, but Dovepaw doesn't know where he is. A wave crashes over her, but she still manages to cling to the branch and force her head to the surface, coughing up water. Dovepaw sees harsh Twoleg lights and realizes she is being carried past the Twolegplace. She hopes that the kittypets get home safely. :Dovepaw comes to a branch of an overhanging tree, trailing the surface of the water. Dovepaw tries to avoid it, but the floodwater drives her right into the middle of the branches. They tangle in her fur, almost yanking her off the branch. Dovepaw grips onto the branch as hard as she can until she is jerked out into open water again. A bundle of dark tabby fur whisks past her, and Dovepaw realizes that it's Tigerheart. She watches in horror as he disappears beneath the surface of the water. :Dovepaw takes a deep breath and plunges into the water after Tigerheart. She thinks of Rippletail and Petalfur swimming in the pool and tries to copy their movements, but her fur is heavy and she keeps crashing into floating branches. Dovepaw had almost given up hope when Tigerheart bobs up in front of her again, then immediately vanishes. Dovepaw dives down into the water, trying to use her senses to locate Tigerheart. Her paws touch his pelt, and she grabs a mouthful of fur and paddles frantically upward. Her head breaks the surface, and she wraps her front legs around a nearby branch. Dovepaw feels a flash of relief as she spots Petalfur swimming toward them. :When Petalfur reaches them, she says that Rippletail will not die in vain, and that StarClan will not take any more warriors from them. She grabs Tigerheart by the scruff, and Dovepaw is able to haul herself higher out of the water. She spots a flat piece of wood whirling toward them in the current, and she manages to grab it and push it toward Petalfur. The two she-cats haul Tigerheart onto the piece of wood, and cling on as the current carries them past Twolegplace and into the woods. :Dovepaw can now see more clearly; the sky is growing gray with the first light of dawn, and the water is calmer, though it still overflows the banks of the river. Dovepaw can spot branches and the heads of cats bobbing up and down in the water. Triumphantly, she points out Toadfoot, Lionblaze, Whitetail and Sedgewhisker to Petalfur as she sees them. Petalfur thanks StarClan, and as she speaks, Tigerheart splutters into consciousness. Dovepaw tells him to lie still, and that he's safe and they'll be home soon. :At last the current slows enough for the cats to leave the branch and wade onto solid ground. All seven cats huddle together and watch as the floodwater washes back into the banks of the stream. Rain is pouring down, but Dovepaw scarcely notices it, as she is drenched and had swallowed so much water that she'll never be thirsty again. She listens as the water spreads through ShadowClan, then down to the lake. Dovepaw thinks that they did it, and brought back the lake. Tigerheart is sprawled on the ground, coughing up water while Petalfur rubs his back. :Dovepaw asks her if he'll be okay, and Petalfur replies that he'll be fine, and that this is what they do to RiverClan kits when they fall in the river. Tigerheart coughs up more water, then turns his head to look at Dovepaw and thanks her. He recovers enough to climb to his paws, and all the other cats gather in a circle with their heads bowed. Whitetail thanks StarClan for saving them, and asks them to honor Rippletail. Dovepaw lifts her head and catches Lionblaze's eye, and they both think the same thing; that StarClan didn't save them, Lionblaze and Dovepaw did. Characters Major *Tigerheart *Petalfur *Lionblaze }} Minor }} Mentioned *Sedgewhisker *Rippletail }} Notes and references Category:The Fourth Apprentice Category:Chapter subpages Category:Omen of the Stars arc